Coaching Experience
• Assistant Coach, Cornell University (2026-present)
• Assistant Coach, University of Hawaii (2025-26)
• Assistant Coach, University of the Pacific (2024-25)
• Director of Player Development, Texas Tech University (2023-24)
• Graduate Assistant Coach, University of North Texas (2021-23)
• Assistant Coach, Cornell University (2019-21)
• Head Coach, Green Country HS (2017-18)
Competitive Experience
• Princeton University (2011-15)
• Bob Rock Sixth Man of the Year (2015)
• Part of class that had 74 wins, two CBI appearances
• Bochum Astrostars (2015-17)
• Professional team in Germany
• Supercity Rangers (2017-18)
• Professional team in New Zealand
• Scored 48 points in a single game, the fourth-best single-game total in league history
• Set league record with 11 3-pointers in a single game
• BC Valga-Valka Maks & Moorits (2018-19)
• Professional team in Estonia/Latvia
Education
• B.A., Sociology, Princeton University (2015)
• M.B.A., Sport Entertainment Management, University of North Texas (2023)
At Cornell
Clay Wilson rejoined the Big Red coaching staff as an assistant coach in July 2026 after previously spending the 2019-21 seasons on East Hill. Wilson played four seasons at Ivy rival Princeton before playing professionally for four years, coaching high school basketball and co-founding one of the largest skill development programs in the South. He has helped Division I programs to great success since departing Ithaca.
In his first season with the Big Red, Wilson helped develop a number of players who had career years, including All-Ivy guard Terrance McBride and second-team CoSIDA Academic All-American Jimmy Boeheim. The Big Red's offensive numbers surged in Ivy play, showing the constant improvement of a young team. The 2020-21 campaign was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to Cornell
Wilson spent 2021-23 as a graduate assistant at North Texas, helping the Mean Green to 56 wins over two seasons, a Conference USA regular-season title and the 2022-23 NIT championship. He then served as Director of Player Development at Texas Tech in 2023-24, part of a staff that guided the Red Raiders to a No. 15 national ranking and an NCAA Tournament bid. After a season at Pacific in 2024-25, Wilson spent 2025-26 as an assistant at Hawai'i, helping the Rainbow Warriors to a Big West tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance.
He played at Princeton for four seasons while former Big Red head coach Brian Earl was an assistant before becoming the co-founder, co-owner and trainer for Elev8hoops in Oklahoma. He helped create one of the largest skill development programs in the region with more than 600 clients. He co-founded the Clay Wilson and David Mason Skill Academy, instructing more than 400 campers and organizing logistics for eight separate camps.
Playing Career
After playing professionally for teams in Germany, New Zealand and Estonia from 2015-19 and coaching youth basketball teams during his stops, he served as head varsity coach for the Green Country Defenders where he coached the leading scorer in program history. Three of his players went on to compete in college.
A four-year varsity member for Princeton basketball, he was part of 74 wins over four years and was named the school's Bob Rock Sixth Man of the Year in his final season. He played on a pair of teams that advanced to postseason play, earning a spot in the CIB quarterfinals in 2012 and 2014.
Wilson scored more than 2,200 points during his high school career and was named the Wendy's High School Heisman award winner for the state of Oklahoma.
* Updated July 2026
